Digital Pool Water Testers

Digital Water Testers

Are Digital Pool Water Testers Accurate?
The short answer is YES—provided they are properly calibrated and come from a reliable brand. In this video, I’ll compare results from various digital testers and demonstrate how they stack up against one another.

Benefits of Digital Water Testers

Digital water testers provide highly accurate readings and can measure parameters that traditional reagent tests cannot, such as:

Total Dissolved Solids (TDS)
Salinity (Salt Levels)
Oxidation-Reduction Potential (ORP)

Most digital testers have a small margin of error—typically within ±1%—making them a reliable tool for maintaining water quality. I use these devices regularly on my pool route, and they’re equally valuable for homeowners.

Top Recommendation for Homeowners

If you own a saltwater pool, I highly recommend investing in a digital salinity tester. It ensures you maintain proper salt levels and avoid costly mistakes.

Even if your salt system displays salinity levels, those readings can be inaccurate due to a dirty salt cell, which might show falsely low salt levels. This could lead you to add unnecessary salt, potentially raising salinity beyond recommended levels and negatively impacting your pool. A digital salinity tester eliminates this risk by providing accurate and reliable measurements.

Other Digital Testers to Consider

pH Tester:
A digital pH tester is helpful but not essential for homeowners, as reagent tests are cheaper and accurate. However, for pool service professionals, a digital pH tester can be valuable—especially for verifying readings at commercial pools where local Health Department regulations require strict pH control. This is particularly useful for spas at hotels or apartment complexes, where pH levels tend to drop rapidly.
ORP Tester:
ORP testers are excellent for ensuring water safety by measuring its disinfection potential. For commercial pool operators, this is an invaluable tool. Homeowners with children prone to ear infections or with compromised immune systems might also benefit from an ORP tester. It allows you to confirm that ORP levels are above 650, ensuring the fastest kill rate for bacteria and viruses. For more on ORP, check out the video link below.

Tester Brands I Trust

In my testing, I used a combination of HACH and LaMotte Tracer testers, alongside the ColorQ Pro7 and Pentair automation system to cross-verify results. As seen in the video, all results aligned closely across these devices. While there are many digital testing brands available, these two are carried by my local supplier and have proven to be reliable and accurate.

You can order the ColorQ Pro 7 on Amazon.com

LaMotte ColorQ 2X Pro 7

No color matching, no lookup charts, no guessing! The unique, multi-test ColorQ pool and spa hand-held photometer read SEVEN test factors listed here. It also tests for these factors in a broad range and comes with enough reagents for 144 tests of six factors and 100 tablets for the CYA test. The ColorQ 2X Pro7:

Well worth the initial investment. The ColorQ 2X Pro 7 is an easy-to-use test kit that will make balancing your pool water very easy.

TRACER PockeTester

Designed for the pool professional. The tester's probe is dipped into a sample of pool water and the results are ready instantly. The Salt PockeTester measures the Sodium Chloride level in salt water pools with a range from 0 to 9,999 ppm. TDS is measured from 0 to 9,999 ppm and Temperature from 32.0° to 149°F. A memory feature saves up to 25 test results. The PockeTester is packaged in a rugged carrying case with a special calibration standard.

HACH Pocket Pro Salinity Tester

The HACH brand of digital testers is an excellent choice. The Salinity tester shown here is spot on and very easy to use. It has an easy to read screen and will also display the water temperature. This would be a great choice for a homeowner with a salt pool or a pool service professional. I use mine weekly in the summer, and it works without issues.

MOBILE WaterLink SPIN TOUCH Lab #3581: 10 Test Factors in 60 Seconds

Introducing the LaMotte WaterLink Spin Touch Mobile

The LaMotte WaterLink Spin Touch Mobile is a state-of-the-art water testing device capable of analyzing 10 test factors in just 60 seconds. It’s an exceptional tool, offering reliable and accurate readings while making water testing incredibly simple.

Product Details

Model: LaMotte #3581 MOBILE WaterLink Spin Touch Lab
Price: $889.00 (at the time of publication)
Warranty: Comes with a 2-year warranty

This is not your average test kit—it’s designed for a variety of professional applications, including:

Commercial Pool Service: Perfect for maintaining logs required by Health Departments and Pool Managers.
Resorts, Hotels, and Clubs: Ensures precise readings to keep public pools safe.
Health Inspectors: A top-tier choice for water quality assessments.

Versatility and Features

The Spin Touch Mobile can seamlessly switch between testing pool water and tap water, making it ideal for water quality management and plumbing professionals.

If you own a retail pool or hardware store offering water testing services, the retail version (Model #3580) is perfect. It includes additional materials like a counter mat, posters, and a door decal to enhance your store’s professional image.

Applications

Imagine completing all these critical tests in under a minute:

Great for pool start-ups, providing the essential data needed for perfect initial water balance.
For commercial pool services, it saves valuable time and provides verifiable logs, making it well worth the investment.

Additional Features

Specialized Disks:
- The Spin Touch uses various testing disks, including a reusable 3-parameter disk (#4334-H) for testing Total Chlorine/Bromine, Free Chlorine, and pH.
App Connectivity:
- Download the WaterLink Connect App (available on Google Play and Apple App Store) to connect the Spin Touch to your smartphone or tablet.
- From the app, you can transfer test logs and even control the Spin Touch unit remotely.
WaterLink DataMate Web Subscription:
- Take your testing to the next level by subscribing to WaterLink DataMate Web. This service allows you to store customer data, send logs, and receive detailed water-balancing recommendations.

Why Choose the Spin Touch?

The Spin Touch Mobile has become so popular that there’s currently a 30-day waiting list to purchase one. However, the wait is well worth it. Once you experience the convenience, accuracy, and time savings it provides, you’ll understand why it’s considered a game-changer in water testing.

Whether you’re a pool service professional, commercial pool operator, or retail store owner, the Spin Touch Mobile delivers unmatched performance and efficiency.